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District Governor 2010-11 John Vandewalle
Newsletter Editor Linda Ireland Executive Assistant [email protected]
To submit articles and pictures for the District Newsletter, send to Linda Ireland by the 15th of each month.
Inside this issue:
DG John’s Club Visits
September Zone Meting
2
District Membership Numbers
Using Cowboy Logic
3
Attendance Percentage
New Members for September
4
Dates to Remember 5
District Youth Exchange Corner 6
Youth Exchange Trips
November is Foundation Month
7
Seaman Interact Club 8
University Teacher Grant
Tanaka RI President for 2012-13
9
New Orleans RI Convention 10
GSE Team to Australia 11
Get to Know Your Leaders 12-13
Oskaloosa International Student
DG 2013-14 Nominations 14
New Club—Johnson County-Sunset 15
Topeka Downtown Merrill Ross 16
Village West Parade of Heroes 17
Spring Hill Golf
Topeka Downtown Diversity 18
Club News 19-23
District 5710 District and Club
Edition
October 2010
420 SE 6th Street, Suite 110 Topeka, KS 66607 Phone: 785.232.7216 Fax: 785.232.1826
Rotary District 5710 Foundation Banquet
It’s time to register to attend District 5710’s
Fifth Annual Foundation Banquet!
Saturday, November 13
Overland Park Sheraton Hotel
6:00 to 9:30 p.m.
This annual event is our district‘s fundraiser for the Annual Programs Fund of The
Rotary Foundation. Our support of the Foundation and its mission to enable
Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the im-
provement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty, is
critical. The Rotary programs we care so much about and enjoy – Group Study
Exchange, Ambassadorial Scholarships, Rotary Peace Programs – are funded by
the Foundation. District Simplified Grants, which so many of our clubs use to
support excellent community and international projects, and Matching Grants for
larger projects, are also supported by the Foundation.
Another excellent reason to attend this year‘s Banquet
is the chance to hear from the keynote speaker, Tom
Bloch of Kansas City. Tom will share his remarkable
experiences of setting aside a highly successful
professional career to become an inner city teacher.
A link to the event registration form follows. Come to
the banquet – bring your spouse, partner, guest; come
with your Rotary club mates – reserve a table and
make an even greater impact! This is also an excellent
event to share with prospective Rotarians, to let them
know about all that Rotary does to make the world a
better place for all. If there is someone you‘ve been
thinking of inviting to join Rotary, bring them to the
banquet – what an excellent introduction!
Please register now to join in this evening of inspiration and fellowship, while
supporting our Rotary Foundation! CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION PACKET.
Page 2 District 5710
DG John’s Club Visit to Lawrence Central Rotary Club
DG John Vandewalle visited the Lawrence Central
Rotary Club in September. Pictured to the right are
Immediate Past President Stephen Lane, DG John,
and President Carolyn Chinn-Lewis.
September Zone Meeting
1. The Rotary Foundation Alumni Service to Humanity Award
for our Zone is being presented to PDG Bill Grimes. L to R:
Mack Teasley, PDG Abeline, Kansas; PDG Bill Grimes, Smith
Center, Kansas; Noel Bajat, RI Director for Zone; and PDG
Larry Dimmitt, Topeka Downtown Rotary Club and District
Annual Programs Fund Chair.
2. Our own District Governor John Vandewalle and his wife
Jane.
3. PDG Bill Mullarky and his wife Beverly. DGN Mo Greenwood
and his wife Bev were able to get the Mullarky‘s on the
dance floor and Beverly Mullarky was delighted.
2 1
3
Page 3 District 5710
Month of September
Clubs with zero entered for the current month‘s
membership/attendance % did not submit a
Secretary‘s Report to the District website for the
month of September by the deadline date of
October 15.
The membership count listed for July 1, 2010
reflects the information Rotary International
received on club Semi-Annual Reports (SAR‘s)
submitted for that date. (Not all clubs have sub-
mitted their SAR’s to RI yet, so this number
may change.) This is the number that will be
used to calculate membership growth in our
District for 2010-11.
District Membership Numbers
Using Cowboy Logic to
Lead and Grow
CLUB 7/1/2010
Membership Membership As Of
9/30/2010 September Attendance
Atchison 79 73 55.26%
Baldwin City 15 16 63.00%
Blue Rapids 21 0 0.00%
Blue Valley 14 14 90.00%
Bonner Springs 0 24 74.00%
Burlingame 12 13 73.08%
Burlington 33 33 67.88%
Council Grove 0 0 0.00%
De Soto 39 43 54.07%
Emporia 68 66 60.65%
Emporia Sunrise 14 0 0.00%
Frankfort 24 24 73.00%
Gardner 61 65 71.12%
Garnett 30 0 0.00%
Holton 24 23 71.00%
Howard 19 0 0.00%
Indian Creek Sunset (Prov) 6 5 60.00%
Johnson County 43 41 75.61%
Junction City 86 83 40.00%
Junction City Flint Hills 0 0 0.00%
Kansas City 54 59 68.00%
Lawrence 197 200 51.76%
Lawrence Central 32 32 45.00%
Lawrence Jayhawk 66 70 66.18%
Leavenworth 94 95 63.36%
Leawood 55 55 89.56%
Lenexa 43 48 66.30%
Louisburg 42 41 49.75%
Manhattan 210 214 63.80%
Manhattan Konza 73 75 57.14%
Marysville 50 50 67.00%
Olathe 0 0 0.00%
Olathe Santa Fe Trail 39 34 65.00%
Osawatomie 0 0 0.00%
Oskaloosa 34 32 68.00%
Ottawa 17 0 0.00%
Overbrook 32 32 81.00%
Overland Park 146 141 65.92%
Overland Park South 89 91 59.28%
Paola 32 35 64.00%
Shawnee 60 59 80.00%
Shawnee Mission 62 51 64.71%
Spring Hill 16 18 87.00%
Topeka Downtown 196 192 46.16%
Topeka North 16 16 65.00%
Topeka South 114 117 52.00%
Topeka West 21 20 92.00%
Valley Falls 18 18 59.00%
Village West 0 38 63.24%
TOTALS/Average Attendance 2396 2356 69.18%*
* Attendance Percentage of clubs reporting.
The Manhattan Konza
Club wanted to convert
to the ClubRunner web-
site for clubs, but the
cost was a little daunting
to them. So then Presi-
dent Debra Rodenbaugh
decided to use the spon-
sorship function of ClubRunner to fund
their new website.
―I sent out a message to Konza club mem-
bers that we had only 5 sponsorship ad
slots on our new club website at
$120/year - and every one of them sold
within 45 minutes!‖ said Debra Ro-
denbaugh.
The club now has their ClubRunner website
paid for—and a little extra to use towards
club efforts!
CLICK HERE to check out their website.
Page 4 District 5710
Clubs With Over 70% Membership Attendance for September
Will your club be listed here next month?
Topeka West .......................................... 92.00%
Blue Valley ............................................. 90.00%
Leawood ................................................. 89.56%
Spring Hill ............................................... 87.00%
Overbrook .............................................. 81.00%
Shawnee ................................................ 80.00%
Johnson County ..................................... 75.61%
Bonner Springs ...................................... 74.00%
Burlingame ............................................ 73.08%
Frankfort ................................................ 73.00%
Gardner .................................................. 71.12%
Holton ..................................................... 71.00%
Average
Attendance (for
the reporting
clubs) for the
month
of September:
69.18%
Clubs with 60% to 70%
Attendance:
Blue Rapids (63.00%)
Burlington (67.88%
Emporia (60.65%)
Indian Creek Sunset (Prov)
(60.00%
Kansas City (68.00%)
Lawrence Jayhawk (66.18%)
Leavenworth (63.36%)
Lenexa (66.30%)
Manhattan (63.80%)
Marysville (67.00%)
Olathe-Santa Fe Trail (65.00%)
Oskaloosa (68.00%)
Overland Park (65.92%)
Paola (64.00%)
Shawnee Mission (64.71%)
Topeka North (65.00%)
Village West (63.24%)
Atchison ....................................... Lorin Affield
Gardner ....................................... Joanne Haworth
Holton .......................................... Blair Wagner
Lawrence ..................................... Allen Belot, Scott Smith
Lawrence Jayhawk ...................... David Darwin, Keith VanHorn
Leavenworth ................................ Dean Ayres, Tamara Jo Sevcik
Lenexa ......................................... Jorge Coromac, Phil Hammond
Manhattan ................................... Jackie Hartman, Jeffery Morris, William Wilson
Manhattan Konza ....................... Blake Bauer
Overland Park South ................... Brittney Kopecky
Topeka Downtown ...................... Bruce Emmert, Eric Smith
Manhattan Rotary Club new members L to R:
Jackie Hartman William Wilson Jeffery Morris
New Club Members for September
Page 5 October 2010
Dates to Remember for 2010-11
NOVEMBER: ROTARY FOUNDATION MONTH
13 Foundation Banquet, Sheraton Hotel,
Overland Park
14 Deadline for nominations of District
Governor Nominee Designate for
2013-14
HOLD CLUB OFFICER ELECTIONS IN
NOVEMBER TO MEET NEW DECEM-
BER DEADLINE
DECEMBER: FAMILY MONTH
15 Deadline to send 2011-12 club Presi-
dent and Secretary name and contact
information to Rotary International,
DG John Vandewalle, DGE ―Mo‖
Greenwood and District Office. NEW
DEADLINE DATE
2011 JANUARY: ROTARY AWARENESS MONTH
1 Semi-annual dues to Rotary Interna-
tional
16-22 DGE ―Mo‖ Greenwood to 2011 Inter-
national Assembly, San
FEBRUARY: WORLD UNDERSTANDING MONTH
19 Pre-PETS (East), Tentative Date, Loca-
tion TBD
23 Rotary‘s birthday (1905)
MARCH: LITERACY MONTH
5 Pre-PETS (West), Junction City, Tentative
Date, Location TBD
TBD Ambassadorial Scholarship Applications
Due
TBD Ambassadorial Scholarship Interviews,
Atchison
TBD District Educator of the Year applications
due
TBD Presidential Citations due
APRIL: ROTARY MAGAZINE MONTH
7-9 President-Elect, Secretary-Elect training in
Salina - ALL incoming Presidents are re-
quired to attend.
15 GSE Team from Australia to Kansas
19 Paul Harris‘s birthday
28 District PDG Dinner, Overland Park
29 District Assembly, Overland Park
30-5/1 District Conference, Overland Park
MAY
15 GSE Team returns to Australia
21-25 Rotary International Convention, New Or-
leans, LA
TBD RYLA
JUNE: ROTARY FELLOWSHIPS MONTH
TBD ―Mo‖ Greenwood Inauguration, Location
TBD
November-December Club Events
DECEMBER 4—Burlington—No-Limit Texas Hold‘em Poker Tourney
Registration at 2 pm—Play begins at 3 pm Rock Creek Country Club, 304 North 16th St, Burlington
Contact: [email protected], 620-490-0045 CLICK HERE FOR FLYER
DECEMBER—Give a Family &Community Service Award
December is Family Month—why not consider presenting this award to someone!
Family and Community Service Award
Nominators: Rotary clubs
Deadline: Ongoing
This award is a certificate that Rotary clubs may confer on individuals or organizations for outstanding service to families and
communities, or in recognition of the positive contributions to individual Rotary clubs made by spouses or family members of
Rotarians. It is a good way for clubs to celebrate Family Month in December, recognize members of the family of Rotary, and
promote Rotary in the community.
Page 6 October 2010
District Youth Exchange Corner
This month we highlight our
Swedish Exchange students.
We have Elin Gotting and Axel Frangi here in
District 5710. Elin is being hosted in Lawrence
and attends Free State High. She wants to
play Tennis in the spring. Axel is being hosted
in Junction City and plays soccer at Junction
City high school. He hopes to attend college in
the United States and play soccer. After his
exchange he hopes to join his father in Argen-
tina and finish high school. Elin and Axel live
about an hour away from each other in Swe-
den but come from neighboring districts. They
both went through a lengthy process in Swe-
den to become an exchange student but are
glad they did. Elin's father is an engineer and
her mother is an accountant. She was active in
theater and choir and also likes to sew. Axel's father is a lawyer and
is a native of Argentina. His mother is Swedish and is a high school
Spanish teacher and is studying to be an English teacher as well. Axel
was an avid soccer player in Sweden and played in many tourna-
ments. His favorite actor is Ashton Kutcher.
Yours in Rotary Youth Exchange
Stephen Wheatley
District 5710 YEO
Elin Gotting hosted by Lawrence
Rotary Club
Axel Frangi hosted by Junction
City Rotary Club
If you would like any information about hosting an exchange
student please contact Stephen Wheatley. We are also now
looking for students to be exchange students next year. The
deadline for next years students is rapidly approaching.
Applications are due to Stephen Wheatley
([email protected]) by December 1st.
For more information about the Youth Exchange program and to download an
application, see the District website—rotary5710.org.
Axel Frangi received his first
check from Scott Stuckey
of the Junction City Club.
Now is the Time to Promote District Youth Exchange
Page 7 District 5710
November is Foundation Month
District Inbound Youth Exchange Trips
Inbound students on an over-
night stay in Atchison. Steve
Wheatley is on the far left and
Robert Thompson is on the far
right.
The group is our 14 District stu-
dents plus 2 students from
District 5670 (western Kansas)
who are being included in our
district activities. Welcome
Carolin and Hector from District
5670!
Inbound students at Worlds in Fun!
From The Rotary Foundation Zone 27 Newsletter, October 2010
November is Foundation Month—It is never too early to begin planning for The Rotary Foundation Month. It is im-
portant that clubs be reminded that November is an ideal opportunity to include Foundation topics in the weekly
programs. Club Rotarians need to know about Rotary‘s polio campaign, matching grants, scholarships and other
activities pertinent to the club and district. Don‘t forget this is also an opportunity to discuss Every Rotarian Every
Year and the use of TRF Direct in order to enhance Foundation giving.
Need help with a Foundation speaker? Have a Foundation question? Contact Vickie Randel, District Foundation
Chair—[email protected].
Page 8 October 2010
Seaman Interact Club—”Sleep In A Box”
The Seaman Interact Club is sponsored by the Topeka
North Rotary Club. On October 2nd, 36 students partici-
pated in a Sleep in a Box project. The students raised
$375 and collected almost 450 cans of food for their
local shelters.
The students had teams of 4-6 people but each team
had to include at least one Interact Club member.
Students paid a registration fee of $10—BUT there were
additional fees!
Bring a flashlight or a pillow—1 can good for each
Blanket—2 can goods
Cell phone, sleeping bag, camp light—3 can goods
each
AND an air mattress, tent, Ipod—5 cans each!!
Each student brought a cardboard box to sleep in.
The boxes were decorated with markers, chalks,
etc. and a prize was given to the most creative
abode. Also in the evening festivities were a
Scavenger Hunt, Clothing Relay (each team
brought a “uniform” that consisted of sweatpants,
sweatshirt, winter coat stocking hat, gloves and
scarf—uniform was passed on at each leg of the
race), Layered-Man walk (dressed one team
member in as many layers of clothing as possible
then the member has to run/walk a distance with-
out falling over), Dumpster Dive (large box was
filled with crumpled newspapers with six small
tokens hidden in the paper), Pack a Box (see how
many team members fit in a large box without
breaking the box), kickball, limbo, tag and music
and dancing throughout the night.
Carrie Magette, a teacher at Seaman High School,
is the Interact Club sponsor along with help from
the members of Topeka North Rotary Club.
Page 9 October 2010
Topeka South Rotary Club Member Receives RI University Teacher Grant
Washburn professor Liviu Florea, member of the Topeka South
Rotary Club, recently returned from his mission as an
ambassador of goodwill to Romania. Liviu was recipient of the
Rotary International University Teacher Grant, which afforded
him the opportunity to travel to his home country of Romania
to teach during the 2009 – 2010 academic year. He taught
classes in Organizational Theory and Theories of Motivation at
Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, Romania for two semesters.
Professor Dan-Maniu DUSE, Ph.D. of Lucian Blaga commented,
―We consider that for the Romanian students, the meeting
with Professor Florea was a very beneficial one, bringing new
experiences for both sides.‖ Liviu believes the experience
helped him understand how leaders and faculty think, and how
programs can be designed to be more effective. He said that
the biggest challenge he faced was overcoming the Romanian
distrust of Americans and clearing up the misconceptions that
exist. Liviu commented, ―The primary difference between students is the students in Romania are very disciplined and don‘t
challenge the subject matter, whereas American students are much more demanding and challenging, asking many more
questions.‖
Liviu is currently an Assistant Professor at the Washburn University School of Business in Topeka where he teaches a broad
set of classes in management. Dr. David Sollars, Dean of the School, enthusiastically supported Liviu‘s participation in this
Rotary program because it supports the School of Business goal to ‗Prepare students to make decisions in an increasingly
globalized economy.‘ Dr. Sollars commented, ―Our students‘ education is enhanced when we have the opportunity to learn
about other cultures and other ways of doing business. Dr. Florea is able to share his experiences with our students and that
is key.‖
While in Romania, Liviu attended weekly meetings of the Rotary Club Sibiu (http://rotarysd.doit.ro/). The club is part of District
2241 and has about 90 Rotary and Rotaract Clubs. Liviu is hopeful that his experience will help connect students and Rotari-
ans between Kansas and Romania through education and service projects.
L to R: Dr. David Sollars, Dean; and Professor Florea
Sakuji Tanaka Named President of Rotary International in 2012-13
Sakuji Tanaka, a member of the Rotary Club of Yashio, Saitama, Japan, is the selection
of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in 2012-13.
Tanaka said he would like to see Rotary ―continue its vital work as the force to improve
our communities.‖
A past trustee of The Rotary Foundation, Tanaka chaired the 2009 Birmingham
Convention Committee. His other service to Rotary includes RI director, regional
Rotary Foundation coordinator, district governor, and member of the Polio Eradication
Advocacy Task Force, the Permanent Fund Committee for Japan, and the Future Vision
Committee.
Tanaka established an endowed Rotary Peace Fellowship, and he and his wife, Kyoko,
are Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors of the Permanent Fund and Major Donors.
He is a recipient of RI‘s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation‘s
Distinguished Service Award.
Tanaka said that eradicating polio will ‖fulfill the promise we made to children in the world‖ and that ―there is no doubt in my
mind that the day of this success will be realized in the near future.‖
Page 10 October 2010
Reason 8—Why You Should Attend the RI Convention in New Orleans
FUN FOR THE FAMILY, by Wendy Fransen, District 5610
Our first Rotary International convention family experience began in Glasgow, Scotland and
included my husband and two sons, ages 15 and 5. Two years later, we resumed what be-
came an annual Rotary family experience, sometimes including a sister and her husband, our
grandson, cousins and our youngest son‘s friends. From collecting Rotary pins to finding a
―kids‖ booth, banner exchange or an intense chess game in the House of Friendship, opportu-
nities for family fun are everywhere.
Whether your family consists of spouse and children or a spouse/companion or a friend, the
special , varied events and convention venues result in life-long memories and sometimes life-
long friends – something that happened to our South Dakota family and a Florida Rotarian family - when our children started
playing together en route to the convention in Brisbane, Australia. Each subsequent convention includes plans for our fami-
lies to meet and sometimes includes special excursions.
Many convention activities are appropriate for all ages and some events are planned with families in mind, such as host hos-
pitality events that match Rotarian families with venues that include children of local Rotarians. The New Orleans convention
has a Saturday ticketed event entitled ―Food, Fun Fellowship &Fins‖ at the Aquarium of the Americas - what a perfect place to
start your family Rotary convention experience.
There are many other activities appropriate for family such as eating world-famous beignets at Café Du Monde, taking a city
tour on the St. Charles Avenue Street car, riding a riverboat on the Mississippi River, touring the New Orleans Museum of Art,
visiting the Audubon Zoo or listening to music - and don‘t miss the spectacular entertainment at both opening and closing
ceremonies. If you want to show your family how Rotary makes a difference, take a Katrina Recovery Tour - you‘ll see where
the levees broke and where Rotarians helped to rebuild houses and other structures.
Remember to register by Wednesday, December 15, to take advantage of special preconvention pricing. http://www.rotary.org/en/Members/Events/Convention/Pages/ridefault.aspx .
There have been many songs written about New Orleans due to its history and heritage as one of the
music capitals of the world. I particularly like the happy sound of ―Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,‖
whose lyrics now beckon us as we think about the 2011 RI Convention in that city, 21-25 May – a full
month earlier than the RI conventions in recent years!
The New Orleans convention will officially start on Saturday – not on Sunday as it has for the past few
years. The House of Friendship, the showplace of our annual conventions, will open on Saturday morn-
ing, and all preconvention meetings will end at noon on Saturday, to allow Rotarians and their guests to
spend more time there before the plenary sessions start on Sunday.
How does one adequately describe the magic, the vibrancy, and the inspiration of a Rotary convention?
Our conventions almost defy description because they are so diverse in their appeal. Rotary fellowship
and networking are at their best as we meet our fellow Rotarians from around the globe, and international service is truly en-
hanced as Rotarians make new friends from faraway places. So the best way to understand and appreciate a Rotary conven-
tion is to attend the outstanding event being planned for New Orleans. It will be one of the best RI conventions ever! I guaran-
tee it!
Come join us in New Orleans as we work together to make the world a better place. And Let the Good Times Roll … Again!
Laissez les bon temps rouler … encore!
Ray Klinginsmith, President, Rotary International
Message from RI President Ray Klinginsmith
Page 11 October 2010
District 5710 Group Study Exchange Team in Australia
From Chris Meiers‘ blog:
Australia is littered with Big Stuff! I am
guessing it is equivalent of Kansas‘ largest
ball of twine or the great groundhog that is
on the way to Colorado that my parents
would never stop at. We had the pleasure
of visiting the big rocking horse. For $2
AUS, you could climb to the top and also
receive a certificate of completion.
With the Honorable Mayor Gillian of Salisbury, SA. L to R: Ryan Wright, Traci Fruit, Pam Eglinski, Mayor Gillian,
Chris Meiers, Sarah Laib.
GO TO THE HOME PAGE OF THE DISTRICT WEBSITE TO VIEW
CHRIS AND RYAN‘S BLOGS
Page 12 October 2010
Get to Know Your District Leaders
BERNICE DULETSKI
(AGD to Leawood, Gardner, Johnson County, Shawnee Mission, Spring Hill, Overland Park)
Bernice joined the Hutchinson Club in 1992. She has also been a member of the Arvada
(Colorado) Sunrise Club. Bernice was invited to an Overland Park South Rotary Club the
first day she started a new job in a new state where she knew no one. The liked the
camaraderie and immediate access to a network of community leaders. ―I had been a
member of two women‘s service clubs prior to my move to Hutchinson, and wanted to be
a part of an active service organization in my new community—Rotary hit the mark on
everything!‘, said Bernice. She is divorced and has three nephews, five nieces, two
grand nieces and one grand nephew.
ANSWERS TO FUN QUESTIONS:
WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED? Dickinson, North Dakota
AS A CHILD, WHEN I GREW UP I WANTED BE: Nurse or nun
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? My soft bodied doll, Thumbelina
WHAT WAS THE COOLEST TECHNOLOGY WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD? Telephone—the
land line kind. Our first phone line was an eight party line!
ANY NICKNAMES? WHY? Yes, I had a nickname growing up, but I will never tell what it was. Why? - because I had two broth-
ers who loved to tease!
ARE YOU A MORNING OR NIGHT PERSON? Definitely a morning person—I like getting up when it is still dark and watch the
sunrise in my backyard.
WHAT IS YOUR COMFORT LEVEL IN THE KITCHEN? I am very comfortable in the kitchen as cooking and baking are two of my
favorite activities. I was blessed to have a grandmother and mother who were wonderful cooks and bakers, and they were
both exceptional teachers. My sister and I use to fight over who got to bake on Saturday mornings!
IF I COULD EAT JUST ONE FOOD (REGARDLESS OF CALORIES!) IT WOULD BE: Pie—any kind
IF I COULD HAVE ANY CAR IT WOULD BE A: My restored ‗51 Chevy
THE BEST DAY OF THE WEEK IS: WHY? I don‘t have one. I like the restful nature of Sundays but then enjoy the busyness of
the other days.
MY PERFECT VACATION WOULD BE: Almost anywhere with no schedule but lots of new places to visit and people or things to
learn about.
WHEN I TAKE A MOMENT JUST FOR ME, I LIKE TO: Site in the backyard with a glass of beer or wine (beer for warm days and
wine for cool evenings) and listen to rock and roll music.
MY HOBBIES AND INTERESTS ARE: Music—rock and roll/blues; traveling; cooking
IF YOU LIKE TO READ, WHAT TYPE OF BOOKS ARE IN YOUR LIBRARY? I have quite a few children‘s books. Years ago, when I
was buying books for my nieces and nephews, I started to buy a spare which I always ended up keeping for me! Except for my
Bibles, I don‘t keep most of the other books I read.
WHEN YOU LOOK IN MY CLOSET THE COLOR YOU WILL SEE THE MOST IS: Black with splashes of brown and navy!
MY FAVORITE COLOR IS: Blue
SOMETHING FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT ME IS: I am a ―collector‖ of cookbooks. I have shelves of them, and generally they
are my souvenirs from my travels.
Page 13 October 2010
Get to Know Your District Leaders
PAUL RIDGWAY
(ADG to Blue Valley, Lenexa, Olathe, Olathe Santa-Fe Trail, Indian Creek Sunset Prov, Johnson County-Sunset
Paul joined the Shawnee Rotary Club in 1997 because someone ASKED him to join.
―I enjoy the good work that Rotary and my local club do. I enjoy the fellowship and I
feel good about my part in helping others,‖ said Paul. He has been married to his
wife, Cindy, for 38 years. They have two grown, married children. Dawn has two boys
ages 10 and 9 and a 4-year old girl. Bryan has an 8-year old girl, and two 7-month
old girls.
ANSWERS TO FUN QUESTIONS:
WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED? Overland Park, Kansas
AS A CHILD, WHEN I GREW UP I WANTED BE: A CPA
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? A football
WHAT WAS THE COOLEST TECHNOLOGY WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD? Color TV
ANY NICKNAMES? WHY? Growing up I went by my middle name, Scott, which my
family and longtime friends still call me.
ARE YOU A MORNING OR NIGHT PERSON? Night person
WHAT IS YOUR COMFORT LEVEL IN THE KITCHEN? I try to stay out of the way!
IF I COULD EAT JUST ONE FOOD (REGARDLESS OF CALORIES!) IT WOULD BE: Lobster
IF I COULD HAVE ANY CAR IT WOULD BE A: Jaguar
THE BEST DAY OF THE WEEK IS: WHY? Friday, it is just my fun day.
MY PERFECT VACATION WOULD BE: A place to golf in the morning and be on the beach in the afternoon.
WHEN I TAKE A MOMENT JUST FOR ME, I LIKE TO: Golf
MY HOBBIES AND INTERESTS ARE: Golf, watching sports.
WHEN YOU LOOK IN MY CLOSET THE COLOR YOU WILL SEE THE MOST IS: Blue
MY FAVORITE COLOR IS: Brown
A HUMORUS/EMBARRASSING MOMENT IN MY LIFE WAS WHEN: My older brother had magnetic posters made with my picture
and cell phone number on them. On the poster it said, ―Call Paul in October to wish him a Happy 50th birthday.‖ His job had
him traveling and he left these posters in airport bathrooms all over the country. He even had a large banner stretched over
I-435! The issue was—it was my 49th birthday!
WATCH FOR MORE FUN PROFILES NEXT MONTH!
Page 14 October 2010
Oskaloosa Rotary Club 46th Annual International Students Night
The Oskaloosa Rotary Club held its 46th Annual International Students Night.
District Governor John Vandewalle and Assistant District Governor Maggie
Mahoney were in attendance as well as eight international Kansas University
students from countries such as China, Japan and Taiwan. The dinner was
founded by former member Paul Gump. His wife, Natalie was also able to attend.
The day included a tour of Oskaloosa‘s Old Jefferson town, a tour of the Jefferson
County Courthouse and a meal at their local café, Cowboy Bleu. The evening
program featured music from a Rotarian of the club and her family. State
Representative Lee Tafanelli was the guest speaker.
Everyone who attended had a great time full of good food, fun and fellowship, and
a little learning too!
Nominations for District Governor 2013-14
It is time for clubs to submit candidates for the position of District Governor for the 2013-14 Rotary year.
Nominations must be in the hands of PDG Jim Mattes no later than 5:00 pm on December 1, 2010. The nomina-
tion should be in the form of a resolution certified in writing by the club secretary.
Please give sincere thought to who among your members is qualified for this position and has the willingness and
commitment to serve. It truly is a rewarding experience for a Rotarian to serve as District Governor.
Please send resolutions to:
PDG Jim Mattes, 13606 W 48th Street, Shawnee, KS 66216
Office: 913-248-1030 Cell: 913-63-4551
CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT GOVERNOR QUALIFICATIONS
Page 15 October 2010
Charter Celebration For New Johnson County-Sunset Rotary Club
On October 19 over 85 people celebrated the charter of the new
Johnson County-Sunset Rotary Club. District Governor John
Vandewalle was the motivational speaker and challenged the club
to be the best Rotary Club they can be. The club welcomed
members from Lees Summit, Eastern Independence, as well as the
President of Club 13 (KC, MO). Kansas clubs that helped celebrate
were Shawnee, Shawnee Mission, Overland Park South, Olathe
Santa Fe, Gardner, Lenexa, Leawood, Olathe, Johnson County and
Topeka Downtown. District leaders attending were ADG Paul
Ridgway, PDG Jim Mattes, PDG Larry Dimmitt, PDG Wes McCoy, LG
Ron Tennisson. The club is exited to join the ranks of all the clubs
How Rich Are You? (from the Emporia E-Bulletin)
How rich are you? If you make $52,000 a year (the median income in the US), you are the
58,252,719th richest person in the world. Maybe that‘s not too astounding . . . .but you ARE
in the top .9% of wage earners in the world. Even if you only make $26,000 annually, you
rank in the top 10% of the world‘s wage earners. While we may often wonder how we‘ll ever
make it to the end of the month before the money runs out, we are so fortunate as nearly 1.5
million people in the world live on less than $1—that‘s ONE dollar per day—and 70% of them
are women. About half of the world‘s population survives on $2 a day.
The District hopes that every member of your club pledges to give a minimum of $100 contribution to The Rotary
Foundation. EVERY ROTARIAN, EVERY YEAR!
1. L to R: DG John Vandewalle, PDG Larry Dimmit with his wife Lois, PDG
Jim Mattes.
2. L to R: Jim Blaufuss from the Lenexa RC and from the Shawnee RC, Marilyn
Blaufuss, Jean Nelson, Phil McAnany, Patrick Hammond, Jessica Huston.
3. DG John Vandewalle and his wife Jane.
4. Part of the club‘s funds went to supply a ShelterBox for Haiti Disaster Relief.
Jeff and Lisa Deatherage came to the event to show what actually goes into
a ShelterBox.
1
4
3 2
Page 16 October 2010
Topeka Downtown Honors Merrill Ross, a Member of the Tuskegee Airmen
The Topeka Downtown Rotary Club presented an
Honorary Membership to Rotarian Merrill Ross.
Merrill joined the club on June 1, 1967. He is a Paul
Harris Fellow and has been an active member of the
club. Pictured to the left is Merrill in front, in the
back is his wife, Barbara, Club Vice President
Blanche Parks, and club member Hurst Coffman
who is the District Permanent Fund Giving & Bene-
factors Chair.
Highland Park South was renamed Ross Elementary School in
Topeka, Kansas on November of 1993. The school was dedi-
cated to Merrill and Barbara Ross in recognition for their years of
service to the district and community. Merrill Ross was the dis-
trict‘s first black principal of a previously all white school.
Barbara Ross was an elementary teacher in Topeka Public Schools for 24 years. Her last 18 years were spent at
Highland Park South as a kindergarten teacher.
As a younger man, Merrill was a member of the Tuskegee
Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated, determined
young men who enlisted to become America‘s first black
military airmen, at a time when there were many people who
thought that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and
patriotism. They came from every section of the country. Each
one possessed a strong personal desire to serve the United
States of America at the best of his ability.
Nearly 1,000 fighter pilots trained as a segregated unit at an
air base in Tuskegee, Alabama. Not allowed to practice or fight with their white counterparts, the Tuskegee
Airmen distinguished themselves from the rest by painting the tails of their airplanes, red, which led to them
becoming know as the ―Red Tails.‖
March 29, 2007 President Bush saluted the Tuskegee Airmen, six decades after they completed their World War
II mission and returned home to a county that discriminated against them because they were black. ―Even the
Nazis asked why African-American men would fight for a country that treated them so unfairly,‖ Bush told the
group of legendary black aviators, who received a Congressional Gold Medal—the most prestigious Congress has
to offer. ―These men in our presence felt a special sense of urgency. They were fighting two wars. One was in
Europe and the other took place in the hearts and minds of our Citizens,‖ he said. Bush then saluted the airmen,
saying he offered the gesture to ―help atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities‖ they
endured.
Page 17 October 2010
Village West 4th Annual Parade of Heroes
The Parade of Heroes is the single biggest event of the year for the
Village West Rotary Club.
The parade took place on a beautiful evening on September 30. Club
member Monsignor Mike Mullen offered the invocation and sang the
National Anthem before the parade. The route was directly up Village
West Parkway, beginning at France Family Drive adjacent to the Kansas
Speedway, and ending at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
A couple thousand spectators
enjoyed watching the nearly 100
entrants. The favorites were classic and collectible cars, restored and
replica military vehicles, fire trucks and other first responders and of
course, marching bands from several area schools.
Meteorologist Mike Thompson
from FOX 4 was once again the
emcee for the event and did a
terrific job. The honorary
judges were Colonel David Cotter, director of Ft. Leavenworth‘s Com-
mand and General Staff College; club member Cindy Cash, CEO of the
Kansas City, Kansas Chamber of Commerce; and our own District
Governor John Vandewalle.
This year‘s Grand Marshal was the family of the late John Glaser.
Firefighter Glaser lost his life in the line of duty answering a call at a
house fire in Shawnee, Kansas this past May. He was represented by his
widow, Amber, their two children and both Amber‘s and John‘s parents.
An added tribute this year was a pre-race mention and video board
celebration of Officer Glaser at Sunday‘s NASCAR race at the Kansas
Speedway.
The proceeds from the parade will be split between the John Glaser
Memorial Fund and the Army Emergency Relief Fund.
Our own club member, Gloria Willis, took home hardware in two different
categories. Ms. Willis is president of the Kansas City, Kansas School
Board, and Washington High School won the award for Best Marching
Band. The other award was for Best Classic Car, and that happened to
be the one that was chauffeuring the School District‘s superintendent,
Dr. Cynthia Lane.
The post-parade reception and awards ceremony was once again held at
the club‘s meeting place, Cheeseburger in Paradise, hosted by club
member Clint Pitts.
Dr. Cynthia Lane
Page 18 October 2010
The Spring Hill Rotary Club‘s golf tournament held extra excitement from golf ball sales, a helicopter golf ball
drop, and a celebrity player, Joe Lauria. Net proceeds were $4,742.81 which will go towards literacy and schol-
arship programs. All the members of Spring Hill Rotary Club wish to thank the MANY clubs that welcomed us
and let us sell golf balls and tournament sponsorships during their club meetings.
Spring Hill Rotary Club Golf Tournament and Helicopter Ball Drop
President Johnny Ford with Joe Lauria, WDAF
Channel 4 weatherman
Bo
nn
er
Sp
rin
gs T
ea
m
Topeka Downtown Club Contributes to YMCA Diversity Project
Bridges is the creative brainstorm of Topeka artist, Carol Bradbury,
and part of the YWCA‘s mission to eliminate racism through its
Summer Cultural Diversity Project. The artist re-imagined the
traditional mural approach in order to lead a group of spirited
5th-8th graders in a series of unique workshops designed to build
bridges of awareness to their environment, themselves and the
greater Topeka community. Campers built the foundation of the
mural with Kansas clay and earth by outlining and painting
silhouettes of garden plants onto 2 raised panels. Into the mural
they wrote rivers of text recording their best memories, future
dreams, cultural wisdom stories, and the words, ―I Am‖ in over 20 languages that represent Topeka‘s growing international
population. The colorful, 96"x48" mural is available for local businesses and nonprofits to rent in support of next year‘s cul-
tural diversity project. Proceeds from the Topeka Downtown Rotary Club Cup Donation will help offset costs of designing and
printing a postcard and project narrative poster that will accompany the mural.
Page 19 October 2010
CLUB NEWS
The club held a successful Motorcycle Poker Run in September and raised money for kids and polio. This was the second
year for this event.
The club held its annual Scholarship Picnic at Benedictine College and gave scholarships to four very worthy foreign
students who attend the college.
The club will be distributing dictionaries to third graders at the local elementary schools this month. This is an annual
project.
On October the club held its annual St. Francis Academy picnic. It was very well attended.
Atchison
Gardner
The club welcomed a new member, Joann Haworth who is the director of the
Gardner Multi-Service Center.
Rotarian Ron Yarbrough received his first Rotary Foundation Paul Harris
recognition. Ron is also a member of the Paul Harris Society, a group of
committed Rotarians who contribute $1,000 per year to the Rotary Foundation
to further the mission of helping people around the world. Pictured L to R:
Ron Yarbrough; Gary Duggan, Club Foundation Chair; and Mandy Sheldon Club
President.
Burlington
The club kicked off its annual ―Rotary Raffle‖ ticket sales at its September 23 meeting. Proceeds from the raffle are used
for scholarships for graduating high school seniors in Burlington. This year‘s raffle is for a half of beef and a 14 cu. ft.
freezer. Club members are actively selling tickets for its largest annual fundraiser with the drawing to be held on
December 17 at the Burlington High School basketball home opener. Tickets are for sale from club members and at the
Rotary Booth at the annual crafts fair on November 20 at the Burlington High School.
DeSoto
Construction of the Bench
Area at the DeSoto River-
fest Park is nearing
completion. The site se-
lected has an unob-
structed view of the Kan-
sas River. A dedication
ceremony will be held in
the coming weeks.
The club held its Second
Annual DeSoto Rotary—Oklahoma Joe‘s Chili Cook-off at Zimmerman‘s
Farm on September 25. This contest was sanctioned by CASI, the Chili
Appreciation Society International.
THE WINNERS!!
Rotarians Larry and Kris Johnson standing in the
center.
BECOME A PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY MEMBER. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW.
The club held their Octoberfest fundraiser at Boulevard Brewery. Live
band, great food and beverages, and a lot of people supporting Higher
M-Pact and the Shawnee Mission Infant Development Center. Special
recognition goes out to Roger Crawford, the club‘s President-Elect, for his
work on the Boulevard fundraising event. Shirley Rahe was named
Rotarian of the Month for her work on this event, coordinating with the
caterer, creating and seating arrangements and also for her ticket sales.
Shirley is also the club‘s Vice President and is responsible for coordinat-
ing speakers. Recognition also goes to Lee and Gail (club member) Ochs
for their outstanding effort in ticket sales to the event.
Page 20 October 2010
Johnson County
CLUB NEWS
Johnson County—Sunset
WELCOME TO THE NEWEST DISTRICT 5710 CLUB!
The club has started monthly service projects coordinated by their service chairs,
Shannon Brady and Joanna Bramlett-Watts. During October the club will be collecting
peanut butter for Harvesters.
From October 23-30 three members of the club are partnering with Rotarians from
Shawnee as well as non Rotarians in a service project in Chacala, Mexico. This is a
long-time Rotary tradition of working with the local people in building schools and
promoting education. This year‘s project is working on an adult education facility.
Visiting with Tyronne Flowers from Higher M-Pact.
Higher M-Pact engages in the lives of high-risk youth and the communities in which they live by
providing positive guidance and creating mentoring relationships.
Tyronne knows these at-risk youth well, because he was one of them. No father or mother, a series of
foster homes, detention centers, reform schools, diagnosed with behavior problems and learning dis-
orders, no one had any hope for his future. Determined to make something of himself, he returned to
high school and excelled on the basketball team. He was offered basketball scholarships, but was
shot by a friend during an altercation, which put him into a wheel chair for the rest of his life. While in
the hospital he heard the phrase, “I can and I want to!” That became his motto for life. He went to college, law school and
now serves high-risk urban youth. Higher M-Pact programs are aimed at changing the heart, head and habits of these youth
to ignite a spark and invoke the leadership skills within them. Tyronne Flowers can be reached through the Higher M-Pact
website: highermpact.org.
Lawrence Jayhawk
The club continues the process of developing a strategic plan for the club, completing an online survey of club members
and distributing results.
Held organizational meetings with the public relations committee to review club publications and communication
strategies and with the committee to create a written club history.
Inducted two new members, Keith Van Horn and Dave Garvin.
Manhattan Konza
Held their golf outing and fundraiser which was a great success.
The club established a fundraising task force and hope to use the clubs diverse backgrounds and talents to narrow down
a signature event to bring the club closer together and expose the club to the community.
Page 21 District 5710
Leawood
The club continues its work with Bishop Ward students in the REACH program
(Rotarians Encouraging Academic Collegiate Help). Rotarians met with
students for pizza and then accompanied them to the College Fair held at
Shawnee Mission East High School. This college fair draws in excess of
5,000 high school students and more than 50 local and regional colleges
and universities.
Club donated $1,050 to Synergy Services ―One Homeless Night‖ program
which supports homeless teenagers.
The club donated $125 to Lenexa Rotary Club ―Platoons Forward‖ program.
A table for the club was purchased for the Chartering Party of Johnson
County-Sunset Rotary Club.
Pictured to the right: Rotarians Dick Wetzler, Margie Valentine, Don Smith
and Gary Bussing participated in the Ali Kemp Foundation Golf outing at
Swope Park. The club made a $400 contribution to the Ali Kemp Foundation.
CLUB NEWS
Lenexa
The club continues to
work on Platoon‘s
Forward, worked on
house for Habitat for
Humanity (see pictures
to the right), Dictionary
Project, College Night at
Shawnee Mission East
High School, coat drive
for Johnson County
Christmas Bureau,
collected for Books for
Kids project, helped sponsor the 50th Anniversary Celebration for
Johnson County Christmas Bureau and Johnson County Library ―Friends of the Library‖ project.
Coordinating with Leadership Lenexa for a ―Rotary Day‖ in their program with a membership drive after hours to follow.
New member Jorge Coromac joined the club.
Jason Leib received a Paul Harris Fellowship award.
Overland Park
The club has joined the Books for Kids project again this year. Last
year the club led the participating organizations by contributing over
2,000 books and the club wants to exceed last year‘s totals. Once
again Jeff Goodman is heading this project for the club.
The club has approved a donation of $2,000 to build a library in My Lai
Vietnam. A matching grant has been requested to be able to complete
this project. This is the second library the club has assisted in South-
east Asia.
CLUB NEWS
Page 22 District 5710
Overbrook
Rotarians Jon Brady, Gerry Coffman, Charlie Davis, Rich Fairchild and Bob Klinger assisted with the
children's Fishing Derby on September 11. The Fishing Derby was held at the Children‘s Fishing
Pond in the new Overbrook City Park and was attended by 65 children. The club was a Fishing
Derby Sponsor.
The club completed the Highway Clean-Up on Highway 56. A social followed at the home of Rich
and Carolyn Fairchild. Many club members and guests attended the social and enjoyed the
fellowship.
Manhattan
Ron Wilson was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the club. Ron
served as club president in 2004-2005. Pictured to the right are
President Sue Maes and Ron.
Congratulations to Cara Hillstock and Nathan Biller, Manhattan
High School Students of the Month for September. Pictured
below (left) is President Sue Maes, Cara Hillstock and Tom Eye-
stone, Student of the Month Committee.
June 2010 RYLA participants Kaitlin Wichmann and Nilachil Nair
presented highlights of their experience to the club. Pictured
below (right) are Larie Schoap, RYLA Chair; Kaitlin Wichmann,
Nilachil Nair and President Sue Maes.
Shawnee Mission
Collecting books for the clubs ongoing literacy project.
The club has an ongoing relationship with the Rotary Club of Moshi, Tanzania East Africa to assist with items for the local
school. The club has provided desks in the past and plan to provide teaching supplies this year.
Mindy Love, Director of the Johnson County Museum is the newest member of the club. She comes to the club as a
former Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow.
Page 23 District 5710
CLUB NEWS
Preparing for the distribution of dictionaries for the third grade children in USD 345.
The club met with Sara Leib, the club sponsored member of the GSE team to Australia, to present her with funds for the
trip and contact information for while she was in Australia. (see GSE article on page 11)
Five members of the club, along with the current Seaman Interact Club officers and
faculty representative, participated in the Seaman Club Day where students sign up for
the club(s) of their choice. They gave out small gifts to the kids that signed up and over
140 students showed an interest in the Interact club.
The club worked with the Interact Club to plan their ―Sleep in a Box‖ project (see page 8
for the story).
The held its first ―Member Outing‖ meeting. Members met briefly then broke out into
small teams to go talk to prospective members that had been identified. None
members talked to six prospects over the normal noon timeframe and have two
commitments from the outing. The club plans to repeat the Member Outings!
Topeka North
GREAT membership
idea! COWBOY LOGIC
IN ACTION!
Topeka Downtown
The club has purchased dictionaries for six elementary schools in Topeka.
Funded two $500 scholarships to Washburn Technical Institute students.
Donated $449 to YWCA for the Diversity Art and Mural Project. (see article on page 18)
Presented a Paul Harris Fellowship to Fred Gatlin.
Presented a $250 Stipend to GSE Team member Ryan Wright. (see GSE article on page 11)
A Honorary Membership was presented to Rotarian Merrill Ross. (see article on page 16)
